


The Look

by FerrousKyra



Series: Princess Pet Name AU [10]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/F, Kid Fic, Multi, They/Them Suki, autistic Ty Lee, baby talk, idfk, not the babbling kind, the serious adult conversation kind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-13 19:20:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29033805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FerrousKyra/pseuds/FerrousKyra
Summary: "'Suki?' Ty Lee asks as she watches Kya excitedly bring Azula to her big brother a few yards away.'Yeah, Ty?'Bumi sticks a caterpillar up his nose.'So, you know how I'm not good at reading expressions, right?''Yes; I do.' Of course Suki knows. But it's best if she gets through that part of the script; so the "You don't have to remind  me." goes unsaid.Kya's cackling on the grass. Azula's shoulders are visibly shaking from suppressing her own laugh.'Well, Azula keeps looking at me with an expression I don't think I've ever seen before. Could you tell me what it means?''Alright, I suppose I'll try. What's it like?'"
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Azula & Bolin, Azula & Izumi (Avatar), Azula & Kya II (Avatar), Azula & Mako (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Bumi II & Kya II (Avatar), Izumi & Mako, Sokka/Suki/Zuko (Avatar), Suki & Ty Lee (Avatar), Ty Lee & Bolin, Ty Lee & Mako
Series: Princess Pet Name AU [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2039281
Comments: 5
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> IDK if this is gonna be a super unpopular take, but I got the idea that Azula loves children & Ty Lee hates kids, so I had to write it. Don't be surprised if I contradict this later, or take it out of this AU's series at some point.

Ty Lee was pretty surprised to find out both she & Azula were invited to Aang & Katara's baby shower

Sure, with "Uncle Zuzu" being a frequent part of their kid's lives, Azula was at least present for most big events. & Ty Lee had gotten pretty close with Aang after she found out about her Air Nomad ancestry & started joining him on holidays with the acolytes. (Honestly, how had _no one_ in her family realized that her grandfather _Kelsang_ didn't have a Fire Nation name?) & yes, Ty Lee had been invited to Bumi & Kya's parties as well, but Azula hadn't even gone to Kya's when Zuko was told she could come. But Katara, & especially Aang had always been considerate of everyone in their lives.

But, when Azula had shown up & Kya _immediately_ grabbed her pant & started dragging her along to play, Ty Lee knew. Kya wanted her here. Somehow, against all odds, children always adore Azula. (The most prominent theory is that they love how she talks weird; even to them.)

Kya's especially fond of her. Anytime Katara puts her daughter's hair in a ponytail, the girl immediately takes two strands out to frame her face, just like Azula.

If Azula is present, Kya is there. She can't be alone for 5 seconds without the little half Water Tribe girl showing up from out of nowhere.

What's stranger, is that Azula loves kids too.

While everyone knows Azula loves Izumi more than anything else in the world, & she would kill for Kiyi, & Kya strokes her ego; no one's really privy to the fact that she's always liked kids.

Even back when they were teenagers, Azula wouldn't so much as flinch when Tom-Tom managed to get one of her fingers into his drooly little mouth. She's just dry the finger on his shirt & tickle his tummy while calling him some sort of mean name he was too young to understand.

**.oOo.**

"Suki?" Ty Lee asks as she watches Kya excitedly bring Azula to her big brother a few yards away.

"Yeah, Ty?"

Bumi sticks a caterpillar up his nose.

"So, you know how I'm not good at reading expressions, right?"

"Yes; I do." Of course Suki knows. But it's best if she gets through that part of the script; so the 'You don't have to remind me.' goes unsaid.

Kya's cackling on the grass. Azula's shoulders are visibly shaking from suppressing her own laugh.

"Well, Azula keeps looking at me with an expression I don't think I've ever seen before. Could you tell me what it means?"

"Alright, I suppose I'll try. What's it like?" Suki thinks the questions a bit vague, so they specify. "What expression is Azula making?"

"Uhm," Where to start? "Her eyes are, like, big. I guess?"

"Anything else?" Her friend urges.

Ty Lee lets out a frustrated huff. "I don't know. She keeps doing it. Just watch."

Suki becomes a little concerned. It must be bothering her a lot if she's already given up on trying to describe it.

Sure enough, a few minutes pass until Kya leaves Azula stranded on the ground to chase a butterfly. The woman quickly diverts her gaze to Ty Lee with a look so wistful it shouldn't be accompanied by so much presence of mind.

Ty Lee quickly taps on Suki's forearm, careful not to draw too much attention in case it broke Azula from her reverie.

"Well?" Ty Lee asked expectantly.

"I've never seen that before either." Suki supplies despite being fairly confident in what it meant.

**.oOo.**

While most people find it surprising that Azula's good with kids, it pales in comparison to when they find out Ty Lee is _horrible_ with them.

Don't get her wrong; kids like her. But they're so much... more. It's overwhelming.

They're loud, & sticky, & expect Ty Lee to know everything. & they work on a completely different script than the one she's spend years painstakingly beating into her head through trial & error.

So kids love her. & she loves kids... for about 10 minutes. Then it's too much & she needs to leave.

**.oOo.**

"I'm not sure I should say." Suki settles on.

"Please." Ty Lee's giving them her biggest puppy-cub eyes. "If I was good with expressions I'd already know."

That makes Suki relent. "Fine." They give her one more guilty look. "You're not gonna like it."

Ty Lee waits.

"She's giving you the I-want-a-baby look."

"The what?" Ty Lee suddenly feels like the ground below her has fallen away.

**.oOo.**

They both decide that they need a secondary (tertiary?) opinion.

Neither Mai, nor Zuko could speak from experience, which revealed that Izumi was an accident, to no one's surprise.

Aang says that he must've always been on the giving end because he's only seen the give-me-a-baby look. (It had taken a little time for Ty Lee to understand the distinction.)

Katara didn't even glance at Azula before confirming their suspicion.

"If you let her, you'll see the difference between the I-want-a-baby face & the give-me-a-baby face for yourself tonight." the pregnant lady muses.

"But we can't..." Ty Lee begins to protest.

"I don't think that'll matter."

Ty Lee decides that Katara's mean when she's pregnant.

**.oOo.**

"Lee, what's wrong?" Azula not too kindly questions for what felt like the millionth time tonight. She refused to answer the whole ride home.

Ty Lee silently brushes past & sits down on the couch. Azula stalks behind her, standing in her line of sight with her arms crossed once the other woman is seated.

Realizing she wasn't getting out of this, Ty Lee sighs. "Join me." She pats the cushion next to her.

Azula irritably complies.

There's a quick staring contest, though Ty Lee never quite meets their eyes.

"I don't want kids."

Logically, Azula knew this. Logically, she's always known this. _Logically_ , Azula has already accepted this as fact.

That doesn't stop the words from shattering her world once spoken.

**.oOo.**

Azula hates this.

She hates how it makes her feel. She hates that she's crying over something she already knew. She hates that up until the words were uttered, she didn't even know she cared.

Most of all, Azula despises that she's embodying some horrible, sexist trope. The hysteric woman bawling her eyes out because her kind, caring ~~husband~~ girlfriend won't give her a baby.

She hates that she's been lying on the couch for hours, too grievous to move. She doesn't even care about how the fire ferret she's desperately clutching at her chest is overdue for a bath; or that she, herself is covered in whatever mystery sticky stuff baby Kya had gotten into.

Ty Lee can't even be faulted for rendering her this way.

Once again, Azula's mind is her own worst enemy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any of you who wanted this to be continued, you can thank Fanficfan for guilting me into it.

It takes about a dozen days for Azula to start feeling more-or-less normal. & even though Ty Lee has stopped apologizing, she still doesn't seem to be believing it when Azula tells her she's more than enough for her. & she is; Azula has a happy life that's bettered immensely by Ty Lee & her love. She's aware of that.

She doesn't need kids.

But still, even after all this time, the hollow space in her heart hasn't left.

**.oO0O0Oo.**

"So," Ty Lee starts. "Funny thing happened at work today."

 _'This should be good.'_ Azula thinks as she makes her way to the door frame her girlfriend has yet to step away from.

"Well, uhm." She continues. "These two kids showed up at the gym saying they were kicked out of their home.

"&, no one knew what to do with them since they're teenage boys; & you know that most days men aren't allowed past the lobby. So, we were all debating whether we should even let them in, or sort things out outside.

"Then Suki came in. & they said that since we aren't allowed to have them stay over anyways, & they couldn't stay at the women's shelter, that we needed to send them to child services.

"But the older one said that he's eighteen, so he said if we try they'd just run, so they couldn't be separated.

"& you know Suki is too busy, & I'm second in command so... I kinda... said we'd watch them until we could sort this all out." She looks at Azula properly for the first time during the conversation. Ty Lee's expression seems to betray that she expects to be scolded.

Before Azula has the chance to process... all _that_ , a muffled voice comes through the door.

"Miss Ty, is it alright if we come in? I really gotta pee."

Ty Lee's still frozen in await of the answer, so since Azula can actually process it, she gently nudges her girlfriend aside & opens the door.

There, in the hallway, stand two young men. The're both tall; with pants that are too short, revealing their socks; & rolled-up jacket sleeves that seem to indicate the same ill fit. The boy currently doing a potty dance has a wide frame & is well-muscled with slightly curly black hair & green eyes. The taller one stands behind him; he's lithe, with pointy features where his brother's are round- most notably the eyebrows. His hair, while the same color as the other boy's, is spiked up. His eyes are amber like Azula's, though. The only difference between their outfits besides some minor differing colors is the red scarf he wears in a way that probably does nothing against the cold.

"I'll show you to the bathroom." Azula ushers the shorter boy in.

"Don't break anything wile you're in there, Bo!" Scarf boy gruffs. She can't tell if he's joking.

**.oOo.**

By the time she returns from the bathroom hallway, Ty Lee has already managed to get the older teen to sit awkwardly on their couch.

Once she sees Azula, Ty Lee quickly excuses herself & leads the other woman to their bedroom, which is hopefully far enough away from both the living room & bathroom to hold a private conversation.

"I'm sorry." she whispers on impulse.

"You don't need to apologize; you're doing the right thing."

"I know, but I didn't even tell you."

"That's fair." She contemplates. "But it seemed pretty last-minute, & I understand you prioritizing their health above a phone call. ... & I'd rather have this conversation in person anyway."

Ty Lee's features relax a little at the words, but she's still noticeably upset. "But I feel like you're gonna wind up doing all the work. You know how I am with kids."

"Lee, they're teens, not toddlers. You'll do fine. One of them is technically an adult; & you do well with adults, right?"

"Yeah... Thanks, 'Zula."

Azula places a firm kiss to her temple. After a second she breathes out a sigh. "How long do you think they'll stay?"

"I don't know. A week or two maybe?" Ty Lee replies.

"I'll go grocery shopping tomorrow."

"Should we get the air mattress out?"

She nods. "& we'll order in today."

"Can we get them new clothes?" Ty Lee wonders aloud. "The boys don't fit in what they're wearing."

"We'll go thrifting this weekend. They'll probably have enough pocket money to afford anything we can't manage, now that they won't have to worry about food."

"We should probably go talk to them."

Azula hums in affirmation, then goes to the door.

"One more thing, princess?" Ty Lee stops her, before turning the knob. "I love you."

Azula pulls her into a hug. "I love you too."

**.oOo.**

"Aw, he looks just like Pabu." Bo says when he sees the fire ferret. "Oh no! Mako, we gotta go back for Pabu!"

"He's sleeping in your bag, bro." Mako dismisses.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"Hi boys!" Ty Lee says as she carries a box into the room.

"Hi miss Ty!" The younger boy says as the other waves awkwardly.

"Lulu's not giving you two any trouble, is he?" Azula asks from beside her.

Mako chuckles. "What kind of name is Lulu?"

Azula gives him an impassive glare, one eyebrow arched. "He's named after my late cousin, Lu Ten. He died when I was eight."

"Oh... Sorry."

"So, how does everyone feel about pizza?" Ty Lee interjects, not realizing she's messing with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, you can thank Fanficfan for making me continue this story. They also deserve all the credit for the idea of adopting teenagers as a compromise.
> 
> Also, I went with Mako & Bolin mostly because they're the only sibling pair I can think of in the Avatar extended canon. I don't think their story fits the best with this, but it does well enough for me with a couple tweaks. (We're just gonna ignore the scarf for now.)


	3. Chapter 3

Azula was worried about how Pabu & Lulu were going to react to one another, with them both being male. But they got along splendidly right off the bat. Within a day, they had started licking each other in greeting. Within two days, they became near inseparable.

Ty Lee & Bolin, unsurprisingly, adore each other. Not once has Ty Lee even had to excuse herself to take a breather. (The same cannot be said of Mako after 'the hand-walking _interrogation_.')

Which leaves Azula & Mako unpaired with a new roommate. Since Ty Lee couldn't even pretend Bolin isn't her favorite if she wanted to, Azula made sure to keep the older brother company. She doesn't want Mako to be in a situation even remotely close to what Zuko was in before his 'banishment.'

Conversation is awkward at first. But soon enough, they find the other to be more their speed than their respective partners (Azula romantically, & Mako fraternally, of course).

**.oOo.**

Eventually they figure out what they're legally supposed to do... only to find that by the time all the paperwork is processed, Bolin will already be an adult.

After a very, very long conversation explaining to Mako that 'no, the law is in fact _not_ on your side & it never will be in _any_ aspect of life,' he finally agrees to keep everything under the table. If only to allow the paperwork for kids that won't grow out of the system a chance at expediency.

Which is how Azula & Ty Lee become impromptu foster parents for a couple of months.

**.oO0O0Oo.**

"Aunt 'Zula?" Izumi asks.

"Yes, Little Zuzu?"

"Are Mako & Bobo my cousins?"

She doesn't know how to answer that. Should she keep it simple for child logic? Or accurate as to not make a potentially unwanted situation with the boys in question. _Could_ she even say no, or would it break her heart to admit?

Just then, Mako walks in. "What are you up to, Izumi?"

"I was ax-kin Auntie 'Zula if you & Bo are my cousins." She answers with several breaths in-between.

"Oh, uh," He glances at Azula, registering a hint of fear in her eyes before she schools it into something impassive. "Yeah. Yes, Bolin & I are your cousins."

"Does that make Auntie Lee & 'Zula your moms?" She follows up excitedly.

He looks to Azula once again, keeping his eyes on her as he answers. "I guess that does." Mako sees tears in the corners of her eyes before returning to Izumi.

"So you have two moms! That's cool."

He chuckles at her antics. "I guess it is."

"I only have one mom. Their name is Suki. But I also got two dads!"

"Now that's very cool."

"WAIT. I do got two moms! Auntie Mai gave birth to me with Dad's help!"

"Wow. Uh." He stammers. "Should I know this?" he directs at his mother.

She shrugs. "Considering she's a carbon-copy of Mai, I'd say sure."

**.oOo.**

"So, Izumi asked if the boys are her cousins today." Azula mentions as she gets into bed.

"What did you say?" Ty Lee questions.

"Nothing. Mako answered for me."

Her brows knit. "So what did Mako say?"

"He said yes."

"..."

"Then Izumi asked if we're his & Bolin's moms. Mako said yes to that too." _'Damn it._ ' Her voice almost didn't crack.

"That's nice." Ty Lee says almost dismissively.

"D- Do you like that answer?" Azula can feel the warmth of tears starting to trickle down her face.

"Yeah. I mean, I've been calling them my sons for months now."

"You h _ave_?" She shifts from disbelieving to incredulous within that sentence itself.

Ty Lee shrugs. "It's true."

"Hey, do you think the whole family would enjoy going to the circus, or should I only invite Bo so you & Mako can be boring?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I make Pabu gay for an OC? Did that just happen? (Yes. I don't regret it either.)

**Author's Note:**

> Not to say that I'm not ALWAYS out of my depth with slash fic, but boy am I out of my depth on this one!


End file.
